Solderless joint and method of making



Sept 24, 1940. M. F. PETERS 2,215,476

I SOLDERLESS JOINT AND METHOD 0F MAKING rned nay 11', 1938 BYMELV/LLE F. PETERS Patented Sept. 24, 1940 VUNITED 'l STATES SOIIDRLESS JOINT AND METHOD F I MAKING Melville F. Peters, Beltsville, Ma. Application May 11, 1938, vSerial No. 207,417

3 Claims' (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 75'!) This invention relates to a method of and means for eiecting a joint between two parts, particularly metal parts, whereit is undesirable or not feasible to use solder.

the use of solder;

To provide a means for effecting an electrically-i' parts are of such metal that soldering cannot 1g be practiced.

Other objects will be apparent to those skilled in this art lfrom'the description that follows.

In the drawing: Y

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section on the line I-I, Fig. 2 showing my invention utilized to join a conductor to a clip adapted to engagea spark plug or binding post;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an axial section through a tubular g5 member joined endwise to the face of a plate;

Fig. 4 depicts myinvention in a form adapted to making an electricaljoint between ak tubular member and a plate through which the tubular member passes;

Fig. 5 shows a modication of my invention for joining a tubular member endwise to a plate;

Fig'. 6 is a modied' form of the construction shown in Fig. 4;

Fig. 'l discloses my invention in a form adapted l agfto join two tubular members end to'end.

It is to be understood that the illustrations in the drawing are for the purpose of clarifying my invention and not to place any limitation there-v on. since it is obvious a solid rod may be substi- 40 tuted for' the tubular member within the purview .of my invention and other similar changes will readily occur to those conversant with this art.

Itis well-known that the use of solder for joining two elementsis frequently undesirable owing 45 to the tendency to corrosion at soldered joints, to the fact that certain metals do not readily form a permanent joint with solder because of imperfect adhesion, and to the nature of the 0 yjoint to be made as in securing a cylindrical member endwise to the face of a plateetc.v -While my invention will be described in connection with the joining of metal parts to form an electrically conductive joint, it is-to be understood that my invention is lnot limited to metals, but the under- Among the several objects of this invention are:I

To provide a means for joining parts without y lying principle thereof maybe utilized for joining non-metallic elements 8S Well.

Basically, mylnvention comprises disposing a .portion of one of the` parts to be joined within a recess carried by the other part, placing around the portion of the first part metal in a form that v.occupies a greater space than the actual volume of the metal, such as foil or grains of metal, then applying force to the metal` to compact it into a tight binding engagement with the wall of the recess and with the portion disposed in that-recess., thereby effectually joining the two parts.

As examples of suitable 'meta1s, I mention aluminum, copper and lead, though almost any metal will serve particularly if it has a reasonable degree of plasticity when cold.

In Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown, by way of example, my invention utilized to join the electrical conductor 8 to a clip 9 adapted to connect the' conductor 8 to the center electrode of a spark plug or to a binding post. The clip 8 has formed in it a recess Ill in which the end II ofthe conductor is disposed. It may be found preferable inV some instances to deform the end II by turning it over laterally or by spreading out the end of the conductor or both. A quantity of metal I2 in compactible form is disposedaround the end II in recess I0 and the washer I3, which has previously been threaded upon the conductor 8 together with the gland nut I4, is seated against the metal I2 and then the gland nut is tightened g down into the recess, thereby reducing the space occupied by the metal I2 substantially to the real volume of the metal and forcing the metal into tight binding engagement with both the c onductor 8 and the wall of the recess Ill, thus eectf lng a, permanent electrically conductive joint between the clip 9 and the conductor 8.

Fig. 3 depicts a tubular member I5 secured with an end against the face of a plate I6. Here a threaded nipple II is carried by the plate I6, being secured thereto in any Well-known manner that is feasible. The tubular member4 I5 has formed in its face a groove I8 to form an interlock with the metal I2 that is initially in a compactible form. Around the tubular member I5 and fitting into the recess in nipple I'I is a sleeve I9 engaged by a nut 20 that is threaded upon nipple I1. It is obvious that' when the nut 20 is screwed upon the nipple I1, sleeve I9 will be forced against the metal I2, thus compacting that metal into thegroove' I8 and into a firm joint engagement with the tubular member I5 and the inner wall of nipple I1.

Fig. 5 discloses a modied form of thestruc- .2' imeslmmiarigaintnm; the nipple n' has a frusto-conical` -bore rather than cylindrical as in Fig. 3 and the sleeve I9' is tapered to conform to the bore in nipple I1', the sleeve I9' being preferably longitudinally split.

Fig. 4 shows my invention employed to connect the tubular member2l to a plate 22 through which the tubular member passes. Here the nipple 23 is threaded from end to end and passes through the plate 22, the nut 24 engaged withthe nipple lpreventing movement of the nipple through plate 22 when the nut 20 is screwed down to force the sleeve I9 inwardly for the purpose of compacting the metal I2.. In case the tubular member 2I is thin and might be crushed or readily deformed by the pressure of the metal I2, a reinforcing sleeve 25'may be', placed inside the member 2| throughout the zone subjected to the pressure oi' metal I2.

Fig. 6 is a variant of the form of my invention in Fig. 4. In this case the two nipples 26 are 1secured on two opposite sides of the plate 22 in coaxial relation with each other. The metal I2 disposed around the tubular member 2I' is compacted between sleeves I9 and nuts 20 by tighten-` ing down in the manner above described.

Fig. 7 illustrates the use of my invention to` connect two tubular members in end to end relation. Here the double nipple 21 has intermediate its ends a circumferential rib 28 provided with faces adaptedto be gripped by a wrench. The

tubular members 29 that are to be joined are inserted into the nipple 21 so that their ends abut substantially at the center of the nipple and the metal I2 is disposed in the nipple around the members 29. Sleeves I9 are then forced inwardly between nuts 2l to compact lthe metal Ainsertable in said recess with space around the said portion, introducing into said space granular metal and compacting said granular metal into substantially a solid body, thereby forcing said compacted metal into binding engagement with said portion and with the wall of said recess.

2. Means for joining two bodies whereof one is provided with a recess and the other with a portion disposed in said recess, comprising soft metal in small grains disposed in said recess around said portion and means engaged with that said body provided with a recess and bearing upon said soft metal to compact said metal into l a solid body to form a bond between said two `bodies to be joined.

3. Means for joining two bodies whereof one is provided with a recess and the other with a portion disposed in said recess, comprising a solid body of soft metal in said 'recess around said portion forming a bond between said bodies, said metal having been introduced into said recess in granular form and solidiiied by pressure.

MELVILLE F. PE'rEas. 

